The present invention relates to a semiconductor device using a flexible circuit substrate, and more particularly to a semiconductor device having a three-dimensional mounting module that is inexpensive, smaller in size, and lighter in weight.
Flexible circuit substrates have the advantage of being soft and deformable unlike rigid circuit substrates. Accordingly, they are advantageous in high-density mounting of ICs and reducing the size of modules. In other words, flexible circuit substrates are used for TCP (tape carrier packages), COP (Chip On Flexible or Film) and the like, and particularly they are indispensable for reducing the size of a variety of media apparatuses.
Also, the system LSI (Large-Scale integration) technology is important in the realization of smaller, thinner and lighter media apparatuses. System LSIs are steadily advancing the technology towards the implementation of one-chip while incorporating LSIs of peripheral circuits. However, the development of a system LSI requires a long time and results in an increased cost of the chip because of mixing of processes of different types. For this reason, requirements for a short delivery time and low cost for media apparatuses have not been met.
For the reasons described above, there are stronger demands in system function mounting mainly composed of three-dimensional mounting, and integration of a system LSI and the mounting technology is becoming more important. Frequency (high speed) and delivery (short-term delivery) determine the degree of growth in the media apparatus industry. Accordingly, the connection length and wiring length of an LSI to be built in must be shortened as much as possible by utilizing the mounting and packaging technologies. For this reason, three-dimensional mounting modules have been subject to various contrivances and have come into the stage of practical use.
For example, conventionally, a three-dimensional mounting module has the following structure that has been placed in practice or in the stage of being placed in practice. First, (A): TCPs (Tape Carrier Packages) are stacked in layers, and connection between the stacked chip layers is achieved by outer leads of the TCPs. (B): A frame body for wiring is disposed between layers of TCPs, and connection between the layers of the TCPs is achieved by the frame body. (C): Chips are stacked in layers, and the stacked chip layers are connected by conduction material. Also, other techniques are available.
According to the conventional technology, stacked chip layers need to be electrically connected through certain interposers. The interposers may have a connection structure in which they are externally connected in a manner described above in (A) or (C), or a connection structure in which they are internally connected in a manner described above in (B). In any of these cases, a structure as a three-dimensional mounting module needs to be established first, then the electrical operation thereof as a module product is made and measurement and examination thereof can be conducted.
If a three-dimensional mounting module is determined to be defective as a result of the measurement and examination, repair work (or re-work) to correct the defect is conducted. In other words, in a three-dimensional mounting module in the process of assembling a three-dimensional structure, it is important to provide a connection structure, which takes into consideration processes of how common electrodes and non-common electrodes are treated and how repair works (re-words) are conducted. In this respect, the conventional technology has the problem of longer processing time and higher costs.
The present invention has been made in view of the problems described above, and it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device having a three-dimensional mounting module structure using a flexible circuit substrate that is excellent for repairing and assembling the module into a three-dimensional structure.
A semiconductor device in accordance with the present invention includes a flexible circuit substrate having a base region and one or more mounting regions continuously provided at a peripheral edge of the base region, wherein the mounting regions are folded over the base region; electronic components mounted corresponding to the mounting regions; a stacked layered support body including a thick first region and a foldable thin second region that is formed with the first region in one piece, each of the regions having a specified outer frame provided in a manner to protect each of the electronic components; a bonding member for integrating the stacked layered support body and the flexible circuit substrate in one piece, protruded sections provided at specified locations of the thick first region of the stacked layered support body, and aperture sections provided at specified locations in a rear surface side of the flexible circuit substrate to be coupled with the protruded sections, wherein, when the mounting regions of the flexible circuit substrate are folded together with the stacked layered support body over the base region, the protruded sections and the aperture sections are coupled and fixed together at an area where the thick first regions are superposed on top of the other through the flexible circuit substrate.
In accordance with the semiconductor device of the present invention, at the time when the electronic components are mounted on the flexible circuit substrate, an operation as a module product can be conducted. Accordingly, measurement and examination can be conducted before they are assembled into a three-dimensional mounting module.
Furthermore, the stacked layered support body for assembling a three-dimensional mounting module is formed in one piece and mounted on the flexible circuit substrate in one area. Then, the mounting regions are folded and affixed together with the stacked layered support body on top of the other. As a result, a three-dimensional mounting module is realized in a fewer number of steps. In this instance, the protruded section and the aperture section that are pre-installed are coupled together, whereby positioning of the layers to be stacked is facilitated, and the assembly accuracy is improved.